Barcelona Miss Lionel Messi' - Neymar

Barcelona grabbed their second victory of the week without Lionel Messi in the Saturday game after they beat Valladolid 4-1, but young-star Neymar says the Argentine's absence was missed on the pitch.

The 26-year-old was ruled out of action for two to three weeks due to a thigh injury, but that didn't stop the Blaugrana from beating Celtic 1-0 at Parkhead in the Champions League on Tuesday and also emerging victorious over the weekend.

Neymar has enjoyed two consecutive starts as a result of Messi's absence, but after scoring his side's fourth on Saturday, the €54 million summer signing revealed his team-mate's presence is missed.

He told Marca: "Messi is always important. For everyone he is the best player on the planet."

The 21-year-old linked up well with Alexis Sanchez at Camp Nou, with the Chile international helping himself to two goals and Neymar admits the pair have a growing understanding.

"I'm very happy with the performance of the whole team," he added. "Alexis is really starting to understand me but the important thing is always the team."

Next up for Barcelona are Osasuna on October 19 following the international break.